Action Research Plan

The action research topic I have chosen is “What professional developments would be most beneficial to teachers at Farley Middle School?”  I chose this topic because I feel the professional development we receive does not always benefit all teachers. Improvements in the subject, as well as the implementations of our professional development would benefit not only teachers at my school, but other schools in my district.

Goals and objectives/outcomes of the research investigation

The goal of my research is to improve the professional development at Farley Middles School.  Included in the goal is not only the way we received the development, but the subject and content matter.

Activities designed to achieve the objectives

To achieve my goal of determining what improvements we need to make in our professional development, I will need the assistance of some outside resources. The majority of the outside resources will be surveys and input forms from teachers at my school.  By using these surveys, I will gain knowledge as to what development teachers want to receive.  I will also research what professional development teachers receive at other middle schools in the area.  This information should be available by using the internet to view these schools websites or by contacting these schools and asking for information.

Resources and research tools needed for data gathering

For me to accomplish my goal of determining what professional development is needed at my school, Farley Middle school, I will need to gather data from the teachers who work here.  I will collect this information through surveys that I can send via email, allowing teacher a timeslot as well as an easy way of responding.  I also hope to collect the same information from other schools in the surrounding area.  By using email and the internet as ways of collecting my data, I will be able to collect more information with a much smaller time restraint. 

Draft timeline for completion or implementation of activities

The timeline for completing of the data collection and implementation of the data need to be completed before our next scheduled professional development time slots.  Since my district provides the majority of our professional development at the beginning of the school year, before the first day of school, I have a few months to collect, analyze and present the data to my administrators.

Persons responsible for implementation of the action research plan

The person who is mainly responsible for the implementation of the actin research plan is me, but I will also need the assistance of a few other teachers and administrators.  For collecting the data, I hope to receive assistance from a few other teachers, particularly ones who are working on action research of their own and would like to gain more experience.  The administrator I will need assistance from in my site supervisor, Mr. Baird.

Process for monitoring the achievement of goals and objectives

To assist in monitoring the progress of my research, I will place check points on dates when particular “assignments” are due.  Keeping a record of these events and future events will help me stay on track.  As a teacher and now a student, again, I understand the importance of keeping track of each assignment.  This way, I am assured to not get off target or lose track of time.

Assessment instrument(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of the action research study

Since my action research project pertains to teachers and their professional development, I will need to wait until next school year has begun and we have concluded our professional development.  I will conduct a survey to see which teachers felt like their expectations were met, or who felt they needed to more.  Only then will I be able to determine the effectiveness of my action research study.